Having read Murderbot and enjoyed it, I looked forward to reading more by this author. The world building and conflict in this book is beautiful. I agree with others that it started off a little slowly, but overall a great read. I look forward to more.

My thanks to NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first "fantasy" book from Martha Wells and honestly what an impressive brain. To be able to seamlessly write sci-fi and fantasy is quite the talent.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Khat, a Kris relic hunter, was hired by Elen, a Warder to take a group out to a Remnant in the Wasteland to check if a particular relic she had possession of was related. Despite pirates and a mad Warder, they did find their answer. But one mystery solved just kept leading to other mysteries. Then there were the deaths that seemed to be happening connected with particular relics and unrest at the Palace. Khat, Elen and their changing cadre soon found themselves involved in an attempt to save the city and maybe the world from an existential threat. A nicely done fantasy with plenty of interesting characters involved in intrigue, problem solving, and archeology.

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title!

I am a huge fan of Murderbot so I was excited to read this earlier work by Martha Wells. Charisat is the greatest city in a post apocalyptic world where food, especially water is the highest commodity. This city is built in tiers and where you live is determined by your social class. There are many interesting layers to this world and society. Especially Khat, who is not human and was made to survive in the desert the world has become. Although the book starts slow it definitely picks up and then you are invested. Thank you #NetGalley for my arc.

I know when I pick up a Martha Wells book that I am about to experience exceptional reading experience and City of Bones fulfilled that expectation. This book had amazing world building and character development, but the beginning was a little slow. Wells did an exceptional job with the post-apocalyptic fantasy world she has created and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great standalone fantasy novel.

City of Bones brought be back to the fantasy story that I really liked a lot. Martha Wells writing was just beautiful. Her world-building is exceptional and really draws you in. The details put into it as well as the crafting of the overall narrative was one of the best that I have read this year.

The power play, mystery and and intrigued that's woven into the story was just right up my alley. The pacing was good and the characters were well-fleshed out. There were moments that can break one's heart, light moments that can make one laugh and some twists and turns that were just done great.

Seriously, just give this book a try.

5 stars out of 5.

City of Bones is a standalone fantasy that Martha Wells first published in 1995. In september the revised and updated version was released with Tor. Martha Wells has quite the list of books that she has written before Murderbot. And I did love her more recent Witch King. However this one didn't quite live up to what I have priorly read of her. Its not a bad book. But it was not memorable.

Khat is hired by warders (magic users) to find a relic in one of the arcane engines that the last ancients left behind. When this expedition goes wrong, he is pulled into a much bigger plot that might take everyone a step back into history.

When a fantasy has a rich history and ancients to be discovered about, that always excites me. And I do think that was one of the better things about this book. The pull, the mystery of that. However this book has quite a slow build and doesn't leave much room at the end for the pay off. Of the actual discovery of ancients. It was: here is one. Now its gone. That was absolutely not enough. I could have dealt with that had this been a series and if we would have had to chance to dive in deeper. But this is a standalone.

Slow builds in fantasy is not unusual. Things have to be set up. Unfortunately I did not care enough about the characters. Khat should have been interesting for who he was and his background, but it didn't move me. I cared even less about the warder. They just were not compelling to me. Not memorable.

Adding on to that, the plot had little surprises. It trudged on in the slow build up where my mind kept yelling; can't you see?

Having said that, I did find the history and the magic/science surrounding the relics and the ancient engines really interesting. It is not a bad book. But because of the above mentioned, just not very memorable.

It was a long extra few weeks before I finished this standalone sci-fi and fantasy, but I finished and it was both super technical and somehow dramatic yet fun throughout. The audiobok definitely helped get me more invested with how this story is told. In particular to grasp the main characters voices and lifestyles in this dystopic city. They were chaotic but logical somehow for a setting that underestimates them for there positions. Which I automatically resonate with the complicated role they have to balance each are put in that's always nicely done in these genres and more so I ones with political infighting.

Sad to say I’m dnfing this for now. Love her sci fi books but this one isn’t catching my interest at the moment

Sometimes a book comes along to give you all kinds of things you didn't know you were craving, from epic settings and brilliant characters to complex world-building and excellent pacing. City of Bones was all of that for me and I'm so very glad to have had a chance to discover it. Thanks to Tordotcom and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been an avid Fantasy reader for decades now and sometimes it is easy to think that you're up to date on what is happening in a genre, who its major players are, and how the genre is developing. And then you're proven completely and utterly wrong. Martha Wells had not been on my radar whatsoever and this rerelease of City of Bones came at just the right time to show my how incomplete my radar has been all these years. City of Bones was first released in 1996 and I just have no idea how I did not stumble across it earlier. It is an actual mystery to me because it has everything I wanted. This edition is updated and revised from the original text, so I can't comment on the previous edition, but City of Bones quickly marked itself out as a Fantasy classic for me and I am so very grateful to Tordotcom for bringing it (along with some of Wells' other updated texts) to my attention and that of other readers.

Charisat, the capital of the Trade Empire, sits on the edge of the Waste and houses much of what is left of humanity. After an apocalyptic period, in which the seas disappeared and the Waste arose, society has gone through a major shift which has seen new power structures arise and new crises emerge. At the heart of City of Bones is Khat, a Kris man. The Kris are a race created by the Ancients to survive the Waste, so while Khat has all kinds of skills and abilities, most of the population of Charisat considers him something of an abomination. He is making a living through the relic trade though, along with his partner Sagai, and manages to survive the various hardships of the lower tiers. It is in this way that he becomes entangled with Elen, a Warder of the First Tier, who seems to share his interest in the relics of the Ancients and the power and knowledge they may reveal. The two quickly become caught up in games being played at the highest echelons of power. City of Bones is told from both Khat and Elen's perspectives, which gives the reader a great introduction to the world of Charisat from both the lowest and highest position. Both characters are also delightful and their connection is built up in a very natural way. I found myself becoming genuinely fond of not just them, but also the supporting characters, especially Sagai and his family. City of Bones also manages to combine post-apocalyptic and Fantasy themes and motifs seamlessly and consistently surprised me with where it went.

Martha Wells has been writing for decades and yet her writing felt incredibly fresh to me, as if she is playing a familiar game in a wholly new way. What really astounded me about City of Bones was how it at once felt incredibly unrushed and how it yet achieved so much. The characters, for example, are built up in a very natural way, and so is their connection to each other. You can see how they grow in each other's estimation, how they come to recognise little quirks about each other, without Wells having to impress upon you that they are getting to know each other. And this also extends to the world-building, which is simply astounding. I thought about it, after finishing the novel, and I can't fault this world in any way. Wells manages to somehow explain the smallest details about how this complex, tiered city and society of Charisat works without it feeling like she'd exposition-dumping. Each aspect of this world made sense and contributed to the plot in some way. It is just wholly contained in a way that makes sense and doesn't bleed over into anything I've read before. Some aspects, especially the Kris as a separate race, did kind of remind me of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness, but more because both play with race, gender, identity, class, etc. in very interesting ways through their characters. Wells employs these themes in really interesting ways which at once solidify the world to the reader, but also allow it to be relevant to our own, modern world. I can't really overstate the way in which City of Bones surprised me. Rather than race through it, I really took my time with this novel and kind of let it wash over me slowly. I also love that this is a stand-alone. While I adored the characters and would not complain about seeing more of them, I love a good self-contained story that has an ending. I am very glad, however, that I have Wells' The Book of Ile-Rien to look forward to next so I'm not without good Fantasy any time soon!

Martha Wells worked her way up my list of Fantasy authors very quickly once I dove into City of Bones. A stunningly crafted world, filled with history, myth, and crisis, and peopled with fascinating characters, City of Bones is bound to give Fantasy readers everything they could want.

I don't think I can read a Martha Wells book as an ebook - The writing style was really nice but it was hard to read it as an ebook, would have had a better time with a physical copy
This was my first Martha Wells book though so I would like to read more since I've heard a lot about the murderbot diaries
3.5 STARs

City of Bones by Martha Wells is a captivating and imaginative science fiction novel that transports readers to a unique and intriguing universe. Set in a world where vast, ancient cityscapes float among the clouds, the story introduces readers to a complex and meticulously crafted world.

The novel follows the character of Lieutenant Touraine, a soldier from an occupied colony, and her journey as she becomes embroiled in political intrigue and a fight for freedom. Touraine is a compelling protagonist, and her inner conflict as she navigates loyalty to her homeland and her growing empathy for the people she's supposed to oppress adds depth to the narrative.

City of Bones is a thought-provoking and beautifully crafted science fiction novel that combines rich world-building, complex characters, and political intrigue. Biggest thanks to netgalley for this earc, I really enjoyed this world and the characters.

I’m so glad to have to opportunity to read this! Martha wells has the remarkable talent of dropping one into the story, completely lost, but completely willing to stay the course. Her world building in City of Bones is slow and layered, leaving the reader sure there is more to be learned. In this wonderful story of knowledge and the power of things left behind, that is the exact feeling one wants to have by the end. Khat has the feeling of a deep backstory without the necessity of sharing all of it. The characters around him are rich and interesting but always clearly seen from his point of view, obscured by his experiences and prejudices. The reader is never sure who is on which side, right up until the end. But through it all, we’re rooting for Khat. Wells is so good at character that one forgets one hasn’t read a hundred other stories about this one person.

After reading The Witch King, I was expecting another wild adventure with high fantasy worldbuilding, and this did not disappoint!

City of Bones was originally released in 1995, but recently was re-released with updated text. What I read was a classic quest story with phenomenal storytelling and characters.

The story follows Khat, a backwoods antique dealer hailing from a superhuman race who finds himself in the Waste - a fearsome desert wasteland in the ruins of an old city of the Ancients - at the request of a band of magicians. On his journey, he unveils political turmoil and conspiracies that put the entire civilization in peril.

Wells’ ability to develop such wonderful characters that you empathize with is beyond belief in the best way possible. Like in The Witch King, the protagonists are multi-dimensional and empathetic, making for an excellent fantasy read.

The plot itself keeps you invested throughout, and the worldbuilding is interesting and captivating. Its introduction to the reader is a lot more eased into than The Witch King, so I would definitely recommend for anyone wanting a great high fantasy read that isn’t too overwhelming - its perfect for all readers!

3.5 stars!
This is my first book by Martha and I thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to receive an e-ARC for this book. The world building amazes me and the details and the depth of the story was wow. I think what made me rate it 3.5 stars was the connection to the characters and I didn't feel that much connection but the storyline and the writing style was fantastic.

ARC received by Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this book!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- If Martha Wells writes it, I'll read it. City of Bones is a fantasy/sci-fi that follows protagonist, Khat and his partner Sagai as they navigate their harsh lives/world as relic dealers. The book is a bit slow, but honestly what fantasy isn't? Just stick with it!

Khat and Sagai are pretty low on the social pecking order with Khat being bioengineered and Sagai being an average human. You've got angst, social hierarchies, magic, treasures, and a snarky lead.

What's not to love?

I really liked this book! The world building was so good! It’s really thrown me back into dystopian fiction and I love it!

Martha Wells is a new to me author who I think I will continue to pick up! It was a little bit of a slow start and slow pace compared to what I normally read but it was worth it once it picked up.

This revised novel takes readers on a journey to a world where a city has risen from the ashes of the past in "City of Bones." In this updated and revised edition, Wells offers her preferred text, enhancing the reading experience.

In the city of Charisat, a towering monolith of ancient design is perched on the edge of the vast and unforgiving desert. Khat belongs to a humanoid race engineered by the Ancients to endure the harsh conditions of the Waste. Alongside his human partner, Sagai, they make a living as relic dealers in the lower echelons of society, perpetually evading the watchful eyes of the Trade Inspectors. Their lives take a turn when the Warders hire Khat to track down relics believed to be part of an enigmatic Ancient arcane engine. As they delve deeper into the mysteries of this age-old technology, they uncover secrets that lead them down a perilous path.

The story excels in several areas. The characters are well-crafted, and I found myself deeply invested in their journeys. The world-building is exceptional. What makes "City of Bones" stand out is its unique blend of post-apocalyptic and fantasy elements. It seamlessly weaves together technology and magic. As Khat, Sagai, and the Warder Elen face unexpected challenges and confront a fanatical cult with sinister intentions, readers are taken on a thrilling adventure filled with twists and turns.

This is everything I wanted.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC! This is an honest review.

I loved the setup of this novel: it has a clever-yet-hapless, fish-out-of-water protagonist, utterly alien yet believable worldbuilding, and a breathtaking sense of beauty and almost primordial danger in every landscape.

This story was firmly postapocalyptic fantasy, and I don't think there are enough of those out there. At varying points the story started to feel more science fictional, but it continually stayed clear in my head that what caused the Waste was magic, otherworldly, and so when the story turned distinctly Lovecraftian it didn't feel at all out of place. The "Inhabitants of the West" are truly terrifying, and I loved the congruity between this and some of Wells' other stories, which I'm beginning to see fit nicely into a grand mythos.

I found the earlier chapters a bit confusing, though, because there's some head-hopping; it's unclear at first who's saying/doing what at some points. Also unclear at first is who the protagonists are, but since this was one of Wells' earlier works, I figured it was just inexperience.

If you're looking for a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you should definitely check this one out!